ACT Brumbies score historic win over British and Irish Lions

WORLD Cup-winning coach Jake White hailed the Brumbies' stunning upset win over the Lions as the greatest achievement of his career.

WORLD Cup-winning coach Jake White hailed the Brumbies' stunning upset win over the Lions last night as the greatest achievement of his career.

The master coach orchestrated a 14-12 win that means the Brumbies are the first provincial side in 16 years to beat the Lions, and the first Australian club side since Queensland in 1971.

"It's as high as it gets," White said when asked to reflect on where the result sat in his trophy-filled career.

"I've been lucky enough to win a senior and junior World Cup, but to beat the Lions, especially the way it was done, with a group of boys with 28 Test caps, of which one player (Clyde Rathbone) has 26, and [skipper Peter Kimlin] two.

"It's got to be as good as it gets in rugby union."

Lions coach Warren Gatland, who had spoken before the game of the tourists' hopes to go undefeated in Australia, said the shock defeat is the "reality check" his squad needed before Saturday's opening Test.

"We have been building nicely, there has been a lot of momentum, and maybe it's not the worst thing to take a knock and get a bit of a reality check, and we got that," Gatland said.

The dejected Lions now fly to Brisbane where the Wallabies await in three days' time.

The Brumbies will still be celebrating their historic victory then.

"I appreciate and understand just how important Lions tours are," said White, who was controversially ousted as Springboks coach prior to the 2009 Lions tour to South Africa.

"To beat them, it doesn't matter which side plays against you or which side you play for, it's obviously a massive achievement.

"It's something these boys will enjoy and we'll become a much better club going forward.

"It's a massive result, this is a very young group of players, we got together 18 months ago and no one would have dreamed what we've achieved in Super Rugby, but beating the Lions, not even the Brumbies in heir heyday managed to do it."

In front of 21,655 mostly jubilant spectators in a freezing Canberra Stadium, a Brumbies side missing 11 regular starters displayed all the grit, tenacity and smarts that have been a hallmark of White's tenure to hold the Lions tryless.

The result only enhances White's credentials to one day coach the Wallabies, while some of his players will be even closer to cracking the national side following this gallant effort.

Not since 1997, against Northern Transvaal, had the Lions lost to a club side.

The Brumbies defence was courageous and mighty, while the Lions' reliance on injury replacements who'd flown into the country just three days ago was part of their undoing.

The Lions' lineout started going astray, backline passes began sailing over upstretched arms, their scrums were pushed backwards.

Brumbies five-eighth Matt Toomua and fullback Jesse Mogg dictated terms with masterful kicking.

Toomua was magnificent in defence and Mogg brilliant under the high ball, while both were intermittent attacking threats.

Kimlin and Scott Fardy were superb at the breakdown, while prop Scott Sio and centres Tevita Kuridrani and Andrew Smith also showed outstanding form.

Replacement playmaker Owen Farrell brought the Lions back to within a try when his first penalty kick cut the Brumbies' lead to 14-9 with 15 minutes remaining.

When Farrell kicked his second to make it 14-12, the scene was set for a thrilling final 10 minutes.

But the Brumbies won three breakdown turnovers to hold on for a nail-biting triumph.

Kuridrani scored the only try of the game after just six minutes, swatting away diminutive winger Christian Wade with a dismissive fend and crashing over.

Lions v Brumbies

With tails between their legs, the previously dominant Lions now have a sudden look of fragility about them.

"It's part of being on tour, regrouping after you get a bit of a knock," Gatland said.

"It's how this group responds to it on the weekend."

BRUMBIES 14 (Tevita Kuridrani try Jesse Mogg 3 pens) bt LIONS 12 (Owen Farrell 2, Stuart Hogg 2 pens) at Canberra Stadium. Referee: Jerome Garces. Crowd: 21,655